January 4th, 2013

January 4, 2013

“It’s a new beginning, Big Boy. Out with the old and in with the new!”

I reached into the closet for Fido’s New Year’s hat. It’s a silver, pointy, cardboard thing with an elastic chinstrap, and on the front it says “Happy New Year.” Actually, Fido’s goofy New Year’s cap looks just like mine.

December 14, 2012

As soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers have been put away, a parade of Christmastime entertainment steps into center stage.

Twirling the golden baton are the holiday-themed movies more heartwarming than hot cocoa, and Christmas carols endlessly streaming on the radio. Oh, and thatâ€™s just the beginning!

A majority of yuletide stories are based on Charles Dickensâ€™ â€śA Christmas Carol.â€ť The protagonist doesnâ€™t believe in the Christmas spirit until he is confronted with his own cynicism, and has to inspire Christmas joy in others.

December 7th

December 7, 2012

“Just sit still, you big red lug, this won’t take much more than a minute.”

“I’m not liking this.”

We were an hour away from our appointment with a photographer and some other dogs to make an image for a Christmas card. The idea was simple enough. The execution was going to be another thing altogether.

November 16th

November 16, 2012

It is universally acknowledged that getting an elementary school kid to sit still for 35 minutes is nearly impossibleâ€”unless you have a special kind of magical comedy.

I think most people remember their first exposure to theatre. You spent most of your days in the sunlight, until one day you and your buddy get off the bus and walk into a dark room with a brightly lit stage on the far end. I was always too short to see over the person in front of me, and would struggle to balance, sitting cross-legged in the theater seat, until the lights were all dimmed.

November 16, 2012

For the sixth straight year, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival comes to the Eastside, thanks to the Friends of the Inyo.

The films, collected by the South Yuba Rivers Citizens League (SYRCL), will show in Mammoth at the Edison Theatre on Friday, Nov. 30; in Bishop at the Cerro Coso Community College on Saturday, Dec. 1, and in Lone Pine at the Lone Pine Film Museum on Thursday, Dec. 6. All showings begin at 7 p.m. and the $10 ticket prize includes a raffle entry.

November 16, 2012

The thumping bass swelled as I swaggered up the flight of stairs at Canyon Lodge for Mammoth Mountainâ€™s opening weekend concert with RZA from the Wu Tang Clan.

The forum was lit like a disco, just dark enough to make everyone look sexy but with bright flashes keeping up with every quick beat. The crowd looked mostly young from where I stood at the bar, checking out the nightâ€™s vibe.